TEESDALE PLACE-NAMES. 183 



"This suffix is Norse, Suio-Goth., and the chief Danish test 

 word; comnioii in Denmark and East Anglia, and rare in Nor- 

 way; seldom occurring in Westmorland, only once in Cumher- 

 land, and not in Lancashire." Taylor. It occurs five times in 

 Upper Teesdale. 



Examples : — 



South Thorpe, West Thorpe, Thorpe Grange, and Thorpe Hall. 



Staindrop — called in Symeon of Durham Standropa and Stein- 

 drop, in A.-S. Stanthorp, in Dan. Stenderup. 



HoUingshead names the place Standorp. 



"I know not," says Surtees, in Hist, of Durh., vol. x., ''how 

 Staindrop, seated in her fair and fertile vale, has merited the 

 name of Villa saxosa ; neither why Cnaperton, one of Staindrop's 

 vills, should be Snotterton." 



There is also a place called Staindrop, on a hill near Yeavering 

 Bell, Northumberland. With regard to this there is a story 

 current that the Devil was, once upon a time, building a house 

 or fort on the top of the hill, and whilst he was carrying some 

 heavy stones up in his apron, the apron gave way, the stones or 

 stanes dropped, and he never resumed his work. The story must 

 have been invented to suit the name. There is however the 

 ruin of a stone-walled fort or dwelling place, thorp, on the sum- 

 mit of the hill. 



"Here, from Chaucer's Gierke of Oxenford's tale, Pars secunda, 

 is an illustration of the use of the word thorp : — 



Nought fer fro thilke paleis honourable, 

 Wher as this markis shope his manage, 

 Ther stood a thorpe, of sighte delitable, 

 111 which that poure folk of that village 

 Haddeu their hestes and hir herbergage, 

 And of hir labour take hir sustenance, 

 After that the erthe yave hem habundance. 



Among this poure folk ther dwelt a man, 

 Which that was holden pourest of hem all ; 

 But highe God somtime senden can 

 His gTace unto a little oxes stall : 

 lanicola men of that thorpe him call." 



